Over 25,000 investors, others to attend Africa international housing show

No fewer than 25,000 participants, including Local and Foreign Investors, policymakers, experts, and other stakeholders in the built sector from 25 countries, are expected to attend the 2025 Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) scheduled to take place between 27th July and 1st August, 2025, in Abuja.

Managing Director/CEO of Fesadeb Media Group and AIHS Convener, Barrister Festus Adebayo, who disclosed this during an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, disclosed that some of the participants from African countries, United States of America, China, among others, as well as 400 distributors have so far expressed interests in participating in the Show.

“AIHS is a gathering of professionals, policymakers, politicians, everybody.

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“We will not leave AIHS 2025 without looking into why federal government housing projects fail.

“We have so many housing projects, but why are they failing? What mistakes are being repeated?” he queried.

Barrister Adebayo emphasised that the forum is expected to extract concrete commitments from policymakers. “Before we leave, policymakers must give us a conversation. We will come up with a way forward.

“At the AIHS 2025, we will do everything possible to see how we can attract and get government to look into incentives that can help in the delivery of housing. In fact, we shall be providing suggestions on the type of incentives and interventions government can provide,” he said.

He pointed to the government’s recapitalisation of the Bank of Industry to support food production as a lesson for housing.

“Today we have Bank of Industry being totally recapitalised for the purpose of providing food. Housing is key. After food is housing. When the government gives attention to housing, employment will be created, productivity will be increased. Because when I sleep well, I think well, I work well. It also reduces the number of times I go to the hospital,” he stated.

Barrister Adebayo lamented the hurdles faced by Nigerians in accessing mortgage loans, questioning why prospective homeowners cannot easily secure mortgages.

“We will look into what is wrong with the mortgage system—why people cannot walk into a mortgage bank, fill a form, show evidence of their monthly salary, and own a house. Africa International Housing Show 2025 will be looking into all these issues,” he assured.

As part of ongoing efforts to ensure inclusivity, Barrister Adebayo explained that the AIHS 2025 will also give prominence to women’s participation in housing discussions.

“Before the end of day two, we shall be engaging our women to come up with their own ideas on how the issue of housing can be better addressed. There are challenges in the area of women as well. Some states in Nigeria don’t allow women to inherit property. There are laws that are against them. So, the women will be with us,” Adebayo explained.

He confirmed that United Nations Women representatives from Nigeria and Cameroon will be part of the discussions.

“They are not asking for only extra seats in parliament. The women are also demanding affordable housing for themselves, for widows of police and soldiers who died in the course of their service.

“As of 2025, we are going to engage all the CEOs of the agencies, be it federal mortgage banks. There is going to be a fire shot with them,” he revealed.

Speaking on the need to ensure accountability from relevant Regulatory agencies, Barrister Adebayo further disclosed that AIHS 2025 will hold government housing agencies accountable.

“We will ask them, ‘What have you achieved in the last one year? How many mortgages have you created? How many houses have you financed? How many workers and beneficiaries have you supported?’

“We will then move to the Federal Housing Authority and ask, ‘Tell us what you are doing, and give us room to answer questions. What agenda are you pursuing?” he said.

He added that the forum will engage the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company and the Ministry of Finance, which currently holds about ₦250 billion and is targeting ₦1 trillion for housing and mortgage development.

“They will be with us as partners and will be telling us what they have done since they were established. They will enlighten stakeholders on how Nigerians and non-Nigerians can benefit from the funds, the percentage of their interest rate, and how to access the money,” Adebayo said.